This invention relates to a bearing assembly and more particularly to a new and novel bearing assembly for use in supporting a water lubricated propeller shaft as in large naval ships. Bearing assemblies with elastomeric bearing elements are particularly suited for this purpose because of their excellent ability to withstand the effects of corrosive fluids and to abrasion resulting from particles of foreign matter carried in suspension in the sea water in which the shaft and bearing assembly operates. Such bearing assemblies with their elastomeric bearing elements have been made and are still being made with outer non-corrosive support or shell with a plurality of circumferentially evenly spaced elastomeric staves therein.
The present invention is directed to a novel bearing assembly utilizing an outer shell and an inner shell with a plurality of circumferentially spaced elastomeric bearing elements that have only selected staves in contact with the shaft leaving other staves with clearance space to eliminate any contact with the shaft to thereby reduce the bearing friction torque thus enhancing the performance of the bearing. Test results have shown that for the same rubber thickness there is a substantial reduction in friction when the conventional number of staves (12) is reduced in number (to 4).